Koko Stormare, the OSF Paladin
by Raphael Comet
Summary: Chapters giving some background on Koko Stormare, an Order of the Sacred Fire paladin.
1. A Day in the Life of Koko Stormare

**===== Chapter 1 =====**

**A Day in the Life of Koko Stormare**

It was a calm and tranquil morning on Broken Crescent Island, the headquarters for the Order of the Sacred Fire or OSF as it was more commonly known. A gentle breeze blew over the beach where waves crept up onto the sandy shores. The sun was just coming over the horizon as a young girl stirred in the early morning stillness.

She was curled up under a simple blanket, laying on a bed with a mattress made of hay and other common stuffing materials. Her head poked out of the covers and rested softly on the pillow, her dark-red hair partially covering her eyes. She remained motionless for a few moments longer until a small, furry creature crawled onto the bed with her.

The creature sniffed at the girl then meandered over closer to her. Seeing as she still hadn't moved, the creature began to lick her face in an attempt to wake her up. Feeling an icky wetness on her cheek, the girl finally opened her eyes to see her pet red fox giving her a loving kiss. She smiled and patted the fox's head to make him stop licking her. The fox smiled back then jumped down off the bed to give the girl some space.

Once she was fully awake, the girl decided to begin her day. Her name was Koko Stormare, an unremarkable 15-year old girl living with her mother on a tropical island. She was 5' 10" and had a swimmer's body with light-tan skin. She got out of bed and momentarily stretched her body to loosen up after a restful night of sleep. The weather was hot and humid, but not uncomfortably so; Koko liked the warm weather and didn't mind it at all.

Koko was wearing a beige tank-top and light-brown capri pants, so she just needed to find her shoes before heading out. Unfortunately, they weren't where she had left them. She looked all around her room then scratched her head in frustration before spotting her pet fox, Whispy, lying in the corner with something beside him. Koko shook her head then went over to him, taking her slip-on shoes from him and putting them on.

Koko opened her door and went in to the main portion of the house. It was quiet and empty, though, it was still the early hours of the morning and her mom usually slept in. She made her way into the kitchen while Whispy went over to his bowl to drink some water. On the counter was a note that her mother had written for her. It was a list of things she wanted her to get from the market in town. Before she took care of errands, she figured she had enough time to ger her daily morning run in so she set the list back on the counter for now.

After downing a quick glass of water, Koko headed outside to begin her jog along the beach. Whispy stayed behind and did typical fox things while she was away. Koko started at a casual pace, enjoying the early morning sounds of the waves rolling beside her and the seagulls cawing above.

Koko's house and the beach she was running on were located on the smaller of the two isles that made up Broken Crescent Island. In an unintuitive way, it was named Lesser Broken Crescent Isle (LBCI) and it was where the OSF had a lot of its non-organizational areas. The main civilian establishment was located right in the middle of the isle, situated on the north side along the coast. It was called Seaside and it was where the main port for the isle was. Everything was mostly built around the port which included the market and surrounding market square, craftsman lane, and other amenities a normal town on the mainland would have. Next to Seaside was a small community of modest houses where the families of married OSF members lived. Koko, however, didn't live there but instead had special living accommodations with her mother along the beach. Fortunately for her and her mom, they lived in one of the VIP beach villas reserved for only the most important members of the OSF. Koko wasn't exactly sure how they managed to get one of those, but she didn't care to ask. Before that, she lived in a modest home in the family housing community until her house burned down. After that, they moved to the current beach-side villa they called home.

As Koko continued with her morning run, she passed by the occasional patrol and the one defense emplacement that was located along her usual route. Normally, there were more defense emplacements and security along the coast, but where Koko lived, there wasn't much to protect. Lesser Broken Crescent Isle had less Order-related targets so it wasn't as well protected as its sister isle, Greater Broken Crescent Isle (GBCI).

When Koko arrived at the defense emplacement, she took a moment to catch her breath before turning around and returning home. While she was resting, one of the personnel manning the defense emplacement got her attention.

"Hey, can you give me a hand for a sec?" asked the soldier as she squatted down from on top the emplacement. The artillery emplacement she was manning was of the larger class of emplacements, meaning it had a large turret flanked by a smaller turret connected on each side. There was a trebuchet set up on the large platform, which was raised higher than the two smaller platforms, to provide long-range bombardment support. Beside it on the smaller platforms, there were two ballistae to provide anti-air support.

Koko caught her breath and looked up to see a younger looking OSF member, probably one who recently graduated if she was stuck on artillery duty. "Uh, sure. Where is everyone else?" asked Koko as she walked over to the platform.

"They're off getting some food and left me to finish loading the ballistae. We had to unload the thing to clean it, but now I can't manage to get it loaded again by myself. I'm Jenny, by the way," said the soldier as she helped Koko get onto the platform.

Once Koko was up there with her, she looked to the unloaded ballista. "So what's the problem with it?" she asked.

Jenny looked to the ballista then back to Koko. "Uh, nothing's wrong with it. It's just-," she said before walking over to the ballista and grasping the winch wheel. "I can't wind it back up by myself."

Koko sighed, wondering how such a weak girl graduated from training in the first place. "Here, lemme help you then," she said as she grabbed hold of the other side. The two of them began to turn the wheel and slowly drew back the ballista's drawstring, eventually getting it back behind the locking mechanism. Once it was prepped, Jenny retrieved a bolt and loaded the weapon.

"Wow, thanks so much for helping me out," said Jenny as she wiped her brow.

"Yeah, no problem," said Koko. "By the way, are you a recent graduate from training?"

Jenny exhaled tiredly from exerting herself then turned to Koko. "Yeah. How'd you know?" she asked.

Koko momentarily looked away, not wanting to tell her how obvious it was since Jenny was young and seemed out of place. After graduating from training, OSF knights were given menial tasks to perform for a year as an augmentee. It was meant to test if they could follow orders and conduct field work properly before being assigned to more important tasks. Augmentee assignments ranged from being put on patrols around the island or general construction labor to being a headquarters runner or artillery emplacement augmentee, which was what Jenny seemed to end up with.

"It was just a guess," said Koko before looking back to Jenny. "So what were you assigned to be after all this is over with?"

Jenny gave an enthusiastic smile as she perked up. "I'm going to be a field mage! I may not be as physically strong as the others, but I can sure pack a punch with my magic!" she said before showing off a couple of offensive spells and firing them off into the distance to showcase her abilities.

As Koko watched Jenny work her magic, it began to make more sense as to how she got through training and why she was put on artillery duty. She figured the graduates were put into stressful situations that focused on their weaknesses. While there, they were supposed try and overcome them, or at least recognize them before being put in real-world instances that could mean life and death. Since Jenny wasn't physically strong, she was assigned to a station that dealt a lot with physical activity.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," said Koko.

Jenny began to calm down and took a deep breath. "So how about you? What's your story?" she asked as she made sure the ballista was secure and properly loaded.

Koko was caught off guard as the conversation was suddenly directed towards her. "Uh, haven't graduated yet. Sill in training and all. I'm finishing up my second year," she said.

"Ah, a trainee still. Do you know what you want to do when you graduate?" asked Jenny.

Koko took a moment to think, but hadn't really thought about it. "Don't know yet," she said. Before she could continue, the rest of Jenny's crew returned which prompted Koko to take her leave. Jenny thanked Koko once again for helping her out and waved goodbye as she continued with her run.

When Koko got back home, her mother was still sleeping, so she continued to be as quiet as she could while cleaning herself up. She washed her face and got some water from the kitchen to help her cool off. Once she was back in a resting state, she grabbed her satchel and headed into Seaside to take care of her mother's shopping list. Along the path leading into town, she saw a curious individual sitting high up in a tree in front of her. As she got closer, Koko recognized her and quietly approached the person.

"What are you doing?" asked Koko as she looked to the Tabaxi sitting up in a tree.

The Tabaxi was startled by Koko's sudden appearance and nearly lost her balance on the branch, clutching on to it as she dropped her pencil and writing pad. Once she was stable, she looked down to see her friend, Koko, standing below her with a playful smile on her face.

"Koko! You scared my prey away!" said the Tabaxi in a huff as she sat right back up on the branch. The Tabaxi's name was Kia 'ruu, an Order of the Sacred Flame trainee and longtime friend of Koko's.

Koko smirked and went to pick up Kia's notebook and pencil from the ground. "Just hangin' around up there?" she asked, handing back the writing materials.

Kia hung upside down by her legs on the branch and reached down for the pencil and notebook. "You can say that," she said, pulling herself back up after taking her items back. "I'm studying the island's native birds since… well, since there's really nothing else to study around here," said Kia as she sat dejectedly on the tree branch.

"Oh, c'mon. There's a bunch more around here than just birds. You can study… rocks? Plants? Oh! I know! How 'bout fish…?" said Koko with a mocking smirk.

Kia recoiled at the very suggestion as she gave Koko a disgusted look. "Fish? As in, the creatures that swim- in the ocean? As if I'd ever go take a dip in the ocean voluntarily," she said before dropping down right in front of Koko. "So, what are you up to?" she asked before placing her research materials back in her satchel.

Koko looked around nonchalantly then back to Kia. "Nothing much. I was just on a casual stroll headed into town," she said.

"Well, seeing as you're not in any hurry, I think you owe me," said Kia as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Want to help me find more birds to study?"

Koko scoffed. "And why would I want to do that?" she said.

Kia huffed again, placing her hands on her hips. "You caused the bird I was studying to fly away! Do you know how long it took to find a bird worth examining, following it, and finding a suitable vantage point to study it from?" she asked.

With a slight chuckle, Koko shook her head in defeat. "Fine. Lead the way then. But I don't know what I could do. Your eyes are way better than mine," she said.

"Your eyes are just fine," said Kia as she began walking down the road with Koko. "I really just wanted some company. And what better company is there than your best friend?" she said, looking to Koko.

Koko rolled her eyes at her as they walked. "More like your _only_ friend," she said as she chuckled again with Kia giving her a snappy look. "I'm kidding," said Koko with a wink. "But really though. While everyone else spends their free time having fun or just hanging out with each other, you're always busy doing research or more study work… by yourself. Do you ever take a break?"

Kia grew quiet for a bit, looking somewhat dejected as she kept her gaze on the ground in front of her. "…what I do _is_ fun," she said finally. "I enjoy what I do, and when I graduate, I hope to become one of the best researchers within the Order." Kia went silent again for a few moments before turning towards Koko. "What do you want to do when you graduate?"

The question caught Koko off guard again as she hesitated to respond, unsure herself of what she wanted to do still. "I- Uh…," she said as she took a moment to think it through. Since as long as she could remember, she had just been going through the motions of being a trainee with the prospect of becoming a full-fledged member of the Order of the Sacred Fire. She attended class and did what was required of her all because it was what her mother expected of her, and she had no problem with that; however, what came after her training, she had no clue. "I honestly don't know. I'll just be a regular knight and do whatever my superiors tell me to do. No more, no less I suppose."

Kia playfully scoffed at her as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's so like you, not thinking any further ahead than the next day," she said. "But you really should think about it. We're about to finish our second year, so we're almost half way done. Then before you know it, we graduate."

Koko kicked a rock on the ground as she looked away from Kia. "Yeah. I'll think about it…," she said, sounding very unmotivated and a bit annoyed.

Seeing her friend looking so dejected, Kia decided to change topics. "Anyway, you still owe me. Wanna help me out now? I still want to document one bird species before I head back home," she said.

Koko looked to her friend and gave a slight smile. "Sure. Let's get to it," she said. She and Kia spent the next hour or so hiking through the woods on the island, keeping their eyes up to the tree branches and canopy. Eventually, they found a suitable species for Kia to study but had also lost track of time. Koko told her she still had to run errands for her mom in town, so she said goodbye and headed to the market in Seaside.

When Koko finally arrived in town, her stomach began to grumble as she hadn't eaten anything all day. She felt hungry for some late breakfast and looked around for a food stand to grab a bite to eat. Koko spotted an opening at the counter of her favorite food stall and sat down on a stool, though the cook was busy with another customer at the moment. When the cook wasn't occupied, she got his attention and ordered some food. She was in the mood for something sweet and savory, so she got a plate consisting of rice and cooked eggs which was also complimented with bits of mangoes. While she was waiting, a male Lupin wearing an OSF uniform took the spot next to her and sat down.

"Not getting into any trouble lately, I hope," he said as he looked to Koko.

Hearing the man's comment, Koko turned to him with an annoyed look, thinking he was just some nobody instructor from the school; however, when she got a good look at him, she recognized him as her favorite instructor, Sergeant Fauhurst. He taught swordsmanship at the school, which was her favorite class.

"Not yet," said Koko as she looked back forward, watching the cook prepare her food and glad she didn't have to deal with an instructor she didn't like.

"Is that so? So should I be expecting some news when class resumes tomorrow?" asked Fauhurst before taking a drink from his cup of water.

Koko scoffed at him. "I was just kidding," she said before thanking the cook and paying for her food.

Fauhurst took another drink of his water then set his cup down. "I know," he said after an audible exhale. "By the way, your Offensive-Defense test is coming up. You think you're ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. Of course I am," said Koko with a mouthful of mango fruit.

"We'll see," said Fauhurst with a chuckle. "Now don't let this get to your head, but compared to the others in your class, you're one of the more… capable sword fighters," he said, almost immediately regretting inflating Koko's already filled-to-bursting ego. He then followed up with something else to offset the potential for inflation. "But your status only matters if you keep up your training. If you start slacking off, you'll surely be surpassed by your peers."

Koko grumbled to herself, saying something about how she wasn't going to slack off. She then downed the rest of her drink and gave a satisfied sigh. "I'd love to stay and chat more, sir, but I need to pick up a few things for my mom," she said as she got up from her seat.

"Is that so? How is your mother by the way? I know she's been sick for a while now, but is there anything you need from us? Has the apothecary continued to make his weekly visits?" he asked.

Hearing about her mother's sickness, Koko grew silent for a split second before replying. "She's- fine. The apothecary continues to do what he can, but he's still troubled by her illness," she said, trying to keep a grip on her emotions.

Fauhurst gave a nod and decided not to pry any further into the matter. "I see. But like I said, if there's anything at all that you or your mother needs, just let us know. We're here for you both," he said.

"Thank you," said Koko before leaving for the market.

As Koko walked away, she pulled out the note and reviewed the shopping list. It was just a list of simple things which were mostly food stuffs. She made her way around the market, visiting several stands to find the ingredients she needed. She placed everything in her satchel which was beginning to get pretty filled to capacity. Once she had all the items that her mother wanted her to get, she started to make her way back home.

The walk back to Koko's house was relaxing enough. The weather was still holding up despite reports of a possible storm just over the horizon. The skies were clear and the gentle breeze continued to blow over the island. Koko's breakfast from earlier also slightly lifted her spirits. Mangoes were her favorite food and she almost always got a dish that had it as an ingredient. Since she wasn't in a big hurry, she took her time getting back home and took a more scenic route.

When Koko got within eyesight of her house, Whispy was playing outside and ran over to meet her. Seeing him come over, Koko took out a gift for him and tossed the fox a bone that the butcher gave her while in the market. It still had some scraps of meat on it, so Whispy took the present and happily nibbled on it. After playing with her pet fox for a bit, she went inside to see her mother awake and roaming about the house.

"I'm home," said Koko as she opened the front door.

Upon hearing her daughter enter, Leanne, Koko's mother, gave her a warm welcome. "Welcome back, Sweetie. Were you able to get everything on the list?" asked Leanne with a smile.

Koko kicked the sand off her shoes then brought her bag over to the kitchen. "Yeah. I got everything," she said as she began to unpack her satchel. Leanne came over and helped her put it all away around the kitchen.

After everything was put away in its proper place, Koko helped her mom prepare dinner. She wasn't the best cook and only had a rudimentary knowledge of cooking from what her mom had taught her. While in the kitchen, she mainly did prep work which consisted of cleaning and cutting vegetables, boiling water, and other simple tasks.

Koko didn't mind it since she at least got to spend time with her mom, but she missed the days when the two of them did more than just housework and cooking. They used to go exploring, hiking, and other outdoorsy activities. Unfortunately, due to her mother's sickness, Leanne was forced to taking it easy and mainly stayed within the confines of the house. Even though they could no longer do outdoors-related activities together, Koko cherished what little they could do together.

Once everything was prepared and taken care of, Leanne no longer needed Koko's assistance and said she could finish cooking on her own. Koko wanted to help out a bit longer, but Leanne could see that her daughter was a bit restless and said she was fine by herself. She gave Koko a hug and suggested she take a nice swim before dinner to cool off and build up an appetite. Even though she wanted to stay, she gave in and changed into her swimwear before heading out onto the beach.

The sand beneath her was warm to the touch thanks to the sun and clear sky. It wasn't too course and it barely stuck to her skin as she walked towards the water. She got to the edge of the surf and did some quick stretches to loosen up before jumping in. The water was still very clear and a nice color of light-blue. It was like a tropical paradise and it was almost always like that except for when a storm came through.

Koko stepped into the water and waded deeper until she was near waist deep. Around her, small tropical fish of all kinds swam about, skittering off if she got too close. Fortunately for her, the surrounding waters around the island were being monitored for anything dangerous via magic. Whether it was a large sea monster or a tiny shark, if it was within a mile of the coast and deemed a threat, the OSF personnel monitoring the barrier would know about it and move to engage it. The implementation of the coastal water defense barrier came about just a couple decades ago due to the infamous Kraken Incident. Since then, the waters surrounding the island were cleared of all major threats and constantly monitored to avoid such an incident from ever happening again. If such a threat did occur, the OSF naval forces were notified and the closest ship was sent to intercept.

Even with the protection of the barrier, Koko kept her wits about her in case there was something out there that she wasn't aware of. Fortunately, the clear water helped her see any potential threats approaching before they got too close. She squatted down into the water until she was head-level with the ocean. She watched all the fish swimming about for a few moments before looking out to the horizon. There was a small island in front of her house that she and her mother always used to swim to. It was only 70 or so yards out from where she was, so it wasn't too bad of a swim to get there.

Koko took a deep breath then darted off towards it. She was a natural in the water, expertly swimming the distance without breaking a sweat. She learned at a very young age how to swim and loved doing it ever since. When she got to the small rock formation, she hoisted herself up out of the water and stood on it, looking out towards the other isle in the distance.

While Koko was gazing out into the distance, she saw one of the two ferries that frequently traveled between the two isles. There wasn't much business for a normal person on Greater Broken Crescent Isle, so they rarely if ever needed to travel there. The ferries were mostly used for OSF personnel to travel to Seaside to shop or visit their family before returning back to work. The trip wasn't that long which made it a great convenience for frequent commuters.

Once Koko had her fill of sightseeing, she dove back into the water and swam back towards the beach. She did a few more laps of going to the island then back to the beach before calling it quits. The sun was already starting to set, so she decided it was time to get ready for dinner. When she got back to the house, she freshened up and changed back into her normal clothes. After getting dressed, she helped set the table and prepare the dishes for herself and her mother.

Dinner was delicious as always and Koko ate her fill. The trip to the market made it especially good as the fresh ingredients made the dishes stand out. After they were done with their meals, Koko cleared the table and washed the dishes while her mom set aside the leftovers. Once the kitchen was clean, Koko did some quick cleaning around the house before retiring to her room. Her mother had turned in for the night already, so Koko stepped lightly as she moved around within her room.

Koko wasn't quite tired yet, so she laid on her bed with Whispy and cuddled with him for a bit. He still had the bone she gave him from earlier, so his breath smelled of meat. As the light outside began to wane, Koko lit a candle and set it on her bedside table. By then, Whispy was back on the floor lying on his bed cushion, still barely awake and occasionally looking around the room. Koko had moved to her desk and was reviewing some texts for her training. The weekend was over so she had to go back to school the next day.

When Koko grew tired of reading, she blew out the candle and returned to her bed, lying on her back as she stared blankly at the ceiling. As she lay there, she began thinking about the future and what she wanted to do. She still hadn't the faintest idea and as her mind began to wander, she slowly drifted off into a deep slumber.


	2. Nothing Remains

**===== Chapter 2 =====**

**Nothing Remains**

Koko wiped a tear from her cheek as she tried to focus on gathering her things for the upcoming journey. The young, red-headed girl was scurrying around her room, gathering items from all over. In the doorway stood a concerned looking tabaxi girl, her friend by the name of Kia.

"Koko… I know you must be feeling absolutely horrible right about now, especially after your mother's funeral a few days ago but- you don't necessarily need to leave," said Kia as she continued to watch Koko from the doorway.

Koko remained focused on the task at hand, packing her backpack with the essential items required for travel. "There's nothing left for me here, Kia. I have nothing and no one. Mom's gone and just a month before that, Whispy died too. It'll only cause me more pain if I stay," she said without turning her attention away from her packing.

Kia looked saddened at that and took a few steps toward Koko. "You have me. You have the Order. You still have a life here with us. I'm sure my parents will let you stay with us if you want someone to stay with," she said, trying to dissuade her best-friend from leaving.

With a tired exhale, Koko slung her pack over her shoulder and looked to her friend. "I just need some time to myself is all. I won't be gone forever," she said with a reassuring smile. "I'll return some day. In the meantime, though, I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor?" asked Kia.

"Yeah. While I'm gone, I'd kinda like for you to watch over the house. You know, make sure it doesn't burn down or get ransacked and stuff. You can even live here if you want. You know, after you graduate instead of that room you'd have at the dorms," said Koko.

Kia was caught off guard by the request but quickly gave her response. "Uh, yeah. Sure! I'd be fine with being your home's caretaker while you're away. Though, where would I sleep? The couch?" she asked.

Koko shook her head with a smile. "You can have my room for the time being. Just- don't mess up any of my stuff, okay? And…," said Koko as she paused, choking on her words. "Don't go inside Mom's room. That's off limits."

Seeing Koko's somber expression, Kia gave a nod. "Of course. I'll respect your late mother's space and stay out. But everywhere else is okay, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. Feel free to make yourself at home," said Koko as she stepped towards the door. As she looked to her friend standing in front of her, she frowned a bit. "Can- Can I get one more hug before I go?" asked Koko as she outstretched her arms.

Kia rolled her eyes with a smile and motioned for Koko to come closer. With an elated grin, Koko hurried over and embraced Kia in a big hug, burying her face in her chest. Koko caressed Kia's arms with her hands then rubbed her face all over Kia's chest. Kia was wearing a tank-top which exposed her arms and upper chest area.

"I'm going to miss you and your fur. It's so soft and fluffy to snuggle," said Koko with a smile.

Kia just smiled as well, patting Koko on the head as she let her rub her body. "Yeah yeah. Maybe you'll find yourself a nice tabaxi boy or girl in your travels," she said.

After Koko got her fill of her friend's fur, she broke away, content with her snuggles. "One can hope," she said. As Kia stepped aside, Koko passed by her and left her room, heading to the front door of her family's beachside home.

Kia followed after her and stood on the porch as she watched Koko stand just outside of her house. "Be safe out there. And, if it's not too much trouble, could you send me a letter every now and then? You know, to least tell me that you're still okay," said Kia.

Koko turned around and gave Kia a reassuring look. "I'll be fine. But sure. I can manage that. Maybe I'll even send you a souvenir or something along the way," she said before waving goodbye. Kia waved back as she watched Koko walk away towards Seaside, the port city on Lesser Broken Crescent Isle.

With nothing but the clothes on her back and a few supplies in a knapsack, Koko started her journey and went to catch a ride to the mainland. After leaving her home on the beach, she headed into Seaside to find a ship leaving port. There was a supply ship docked there, so she loitered around the marketplace until it began preparing to set sail again. While she was in town, she avoided interacting with people she knew. She didn't want to arouse suspicion and have to say goodbye to everyone. She was already feeling bad for leaving, so she didn't need everyone asking why she was leaving or telling her she should stay.

Before leaving, Koko found a bench off to the side of the market square and sat down. She took off her pack and took a quick inventory of her things to make sure she didn't forget anything. For defense, she had her steel dagger sheathed at her side. Inside her bag she had an extra pair of clothes, a waterskin filled with clean drinking water, her coin purse which contained only 20 copper coins and five silver ones, and some rations. The rations consisted mainly of jerky, dried and fresh fruit, and some bread. It was just something to snack on in case she wasn't near any settlements or couldn't find anything while out traveling. Strapped to the bottom of her knapsack was a basic hammock for quick naps and sleeping overnight outside.

After finding everything in order, Koko slung her bag over her shoulders and looked to the ship docked in port. She needed a way to get on-board, so she went over to talk to one of the crew. She found the ship's captain preparing his crew to disembark while referencing a piece of parchment in his hand. He was a human and an older gentlemen by the looks of it. Koko made her way over to him and politely waited until he was free before talking to him.

"Excuse me, sir, but can I ask you something?" asked Koko as she slowly approached the captain from behind.

The captain, upon hearing a voice behind him, turned around and looked to Koko. "Oh, hello there. How can I help you?" he asked.

"I see you're preparing to set sail. Are you going to be leaving today?" asked Koko.

The captain just looked at her with a skeptical expression. "Perhaps. What concern is it to you?" he asked.

"Well, I was wondering. If you do plan on setting sail today, could I by chance tag along?" asked Koko.

The captain let out a sigh and folded the piece of parchment in his hand before stuffing it in his pants pocket. "This is an OSF ship on official business. If you need a ride to the mainland, you can take the civilian transport," he said.

"Please, sir. The ship already left and it won't be back for several days! I can't stay here anymore and I want to leave as soon as possible," said Koko.

Hearing Koko's tone, the captain began to get a bit suspicious of her intentions. "What's the rush? Are you in some sort of trouble that I should be aware of?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"What? No! Not at all. It's just- there's nothing left for me here anymore," said Koko as she became more subdued. "My mom passed away recently and she was all I had. Without her, I really have no reason to stay here, so I want to go out on my own to try and find my own life."

Seeing that Koko wasn't a criminal or trying to dodge the authorities, the captain loosened up a bit. "I'm sorry to hear that. What about the rest of your family, like your father? Siblings?" he asked.

Koko let out a gloomy sigh, not liking to bring up her deceased family. "My father and brother died a long time ago when I was young. I'm all alone," she said.

The captain looked at the poor girl with a somber expression, but began to recognize her slightly. "Pardon me, but you look familiar. Who were your parents, might I ask?" he said.

"My father was the previous Praetorian Guard commander. My mother was a part of the marine regiment," said Koko.

Hearing that, the captain began to connect the dots. "Leanne… Leanne Stormare? You're her daughter?" asked the captain.

Koko gave a nod. "I am, sir- er…," she said before glancing down. "…was."

The captain just looked at her with a sympathetic expression, understanding the situation she was in. He personally knew Leanne back when she was still active and helping with the ships. Taking a closer look, he saw the resemblance between her and Koko. After thinking things through, the captain spoke up.

"Well… the rules do state that civilians aren't allowed passage on OSF ships unless under certain circumstances. I don't have a problem with you hitching a ride, but some of the other officers and crew might," said the captain as he glanced back towards his crew on the dock. He then looked back towards Koko and leaned closer to her, talking to her in a hushed tone. "But, if you act like you're an augmentee, I don't think they'll give you a second look, especially if you're working in close proximity to me. Your mother did teach you a thing or two about seafaring, did she not?"

"She did. I can help out wherever you need me to," said Koko as she looked to the captain with an expectant gaze. "Just please- I want to get off this island."

The captain patted Koko on the shoulder. "Just do as I say and you'll be back on the mainland in no time. We leave in an hour or so, depending on how fast those slackers finish preparations," he said with a chuckle. "I'll be waiting on the docks for you when the time comes, so in the meantime, you can take care of anything else you need to."

"Oh, thank you, sir! I won't let you down," said Koko with a wide smile.

"Very good. I'm Captain Keys. Pleasure to meet you," said the ship's captain as he outstretched his hand for a friendly shake.

"I'm Koko," she said, taking his hand in hers and giving him a firm handshake.

After talking with Captain Keys, Koko waited around the marketplace until the ship was ready to go. When it was time to leave, she met him at the gangplank and gained entry onto the ship, hitching a ride towards the mainland. When asked why she wasn't in uniform, Koko just played it off, saying there was a supply mishap which the captain backed up. Other than that, she wasn't hassled by the crew and successfully blended in.

During the voyage, Koko made sure to remain close to the captain so she didn't attract unwanted attention from the rest of the crew. When she was able to, she helped the crew with the sails and other sailing-related tasks. Since her mother was a marine who was stationed onboard ships, Koko had learned a thing or two about seafaring, so she lent a hand to help pass the time. Finally being able to put to practice everything her mother taught her, Koko began to feel a bit pleased.

When the ship finally arrived at the port on the mainland, Koko thanked Captain Keyes and disembarked, taking a moment to take in her surroundings. She had only been away from Broken Crescent Island only a handful of instances in her life, so every time she left, it was like a completely new experience. She stepped off the dock and looked around, only vaguely remembering the small port town. Not knowing where to go first, she just chose random direction and went that way. She casually walked along, not being in any particular rush which was nice. She had all the time in the world to explore.

#

After leaving the port city on the mainland, Koko had no real plan or itinerary in mind. She just wanted to explore and do her own thing, free of the Order's rules and expectations. She visited several locales and experienced many different things here and there much to her enjoyment. The climate was still hot and dry where Koko was, so she tried to limit her exposure to the sun's heat as much as possible when traveling on foot. When she felt like cooling off when it got too hot, she swam in a nearby stream or river whenever she got the chance to. Of course, she made sure it was safe before taking a dip. Even though she was used to the relatively safe waters around the island, she knew of the dangers elsewhere.

During her travels along the roads, she encountered numerous creatures that she hadn't seen before, some friendly and some not so friendly. Fortunately for her, the ones that weren't so friendly didn't bother her too much, so she kept a wide berth from them. The same was true for the various travelers she encountered along the way from place to place. She had her fair share of run-ins with bandits and highwaymen, but fortunately, she never ended up in any real trouble; if the fight was winnable, she fought, and if not, she ran away or hid.

In the towns and cities she came across, Koko tended to stay out of trouble for the most part. While there, she often tried new types of foods and cuisine, most of which she liked, but there were a few she didn't care for. She also visited a couple of gambling halls during her exploration, though, she knew better than to lose herself in gambling and mainly watched, rarely ever betting on a game. At one point, she even considered going to a pleasure house, but in the end, she chickened out and ended up stopping at the front door. Unlike most people her age, she didn't drink much, so she very rarely found herself in pubs or taverns, unless it was for a quick bite to eat.

Once Koko's initial funds began to dry up, she took various jobs whenever she was in town or wherever they were available. She hunted creatures big and small, sometimes by herself and sometimes with other people. She did manual labor ranging from simple heavy lifting to construction. She also did odd-jobs here and there like delivery and resource gathering.

With each new encounter and experience, Koko made note of it in a book and saved them up until she was in a settlement that had mail service. There, she kept her promise to her friend and wrote her periodic updates in a letter about her adventures. Sometimes, Koko even included a souvenir or two for Kia in addition to her letter. Sometimes the souvenir was an interesting book Koko had picked up which detailed the area she was in. Sometimes it was a claw or tooth from a creature Koko had killed during her travels or during her hunting jobs. If the creature was killed during one of her personal hunts, she brought the carcass to a tanner or taxidermist, asking only for a part or two while the expert kept the rest as the processing fee.

As time went on, Koko began to get more accustomed to life away from the island. She became more adventurous and independent, trying new things and visiting new locations. She traveled all around and experienced so much in such a short time. During it all, her skills with the sword improved and she even managed to pick up a bit more with her magic. Things were going well for her and everything was going her way just like she wanted.


	3. Becoming One

**===== Chapter 3 =====**

**Becoming One**

It had been more than two years since Koko first left home to find her place in life. She had traveled far and wide, seeing many different lands and experiencing so much in her various travels. She was currently far away in a city situated in the heart of a foreign land. She was in-between jobs, resting and relaxing as she explored her surroundings.

Koko sighed with relief as she submerged herself into the warm waters of one of the city's hot springs. It was a public establishment within the city, so the facilities were well maintained and secure from those of ill repute. Koko's bare body was fully underwater up to her neck as she let herself rest. It was late in the afternoon, and there were only a couple other patrons there besides herself.

Everything was perfectly calm and relaxing until a sharp pain suddenly pinged in Koko's skull. She grasped her head with both hands as a flood of memories and experiences came rushing in. In reality, the sensation lasted for less than a few moments or so, but to Koko, it felt like hours, days, even months. After the pain subsided, she removed her hands from her head and sat back against the edge of the pool. She just sat there, trying to comprehend what just happened and what was going on inside her head. Suddenly, there were so many things she knew and remembered that she otherwise wouldn't have before that moment. She couldn't explain it.

As Koko was going over everything in her head, it suddenly clicked. She remembered her time with Sabot Draconis and how they changed the timeline. She recalled how the Koko of that timeline fought to change the flow of time and won, causing her and everyone in her timeline to no longer exist for the greater good. As a result, all of those Koko's memories and experiences merged with her own. The realization was almost frightening as she remembered all the pain, fear, and sorrow the other Koko had felt. It was almost too much until she began to remember the more useful and positive things the alternate her had experienced.

Koko felt the power within her grow in the form of combat skill and ability. She had inherited her other self's combat and fighting skill which greatly supplemented her own, though, she wasn't exactly an inexperienced fighter to begin with. She had the same OSF training the other Koko had up until the point their timelines diverged. She even picked up new skills and abilities in her travels that the other Koko did not have. Her body gained the muscle memory of the alternate Koko and thus could wield a sword just as good as her, better even when combined with her own skills.

Koko looked to her hands as if seeing them for the first time, but they were the same old pair of hands she had always known. Wanting to test out her new abilities, she quickly got dried using her towel and dressed before leaving the bathhouse to find a secluded spot outside the city. Once she found a suitable area in a clearing on top a hill, she drew her sword. As soon as she did, she felt her body react differently to the weapon in her hands, though, the feeling soon faded as it became almost second nature to her. She took some practice swings as the blade sliced through the air. The movements, although new, felt surprisingly comfortable. After sheathing her sword, she tried out the new spells she inherited. Again, even though it was her first time casting them, it felt as if she had done so numerous times before, which in a sense, she had.

As it began to get dark, Koko decided to get a quick bite to eat before heading back to the inn where she was staying. When she finally got in bed and able to rest her tired head, she closed her eyes and recalled some of the new things stored in her head. Being in a quiet place and in a relatively peaceful state of mind, a powerful memory surfaced in her thoughts. The memory was accompanied by very strong feelings since it was the last thing the alternate Koko experienced. Koko recalled the premonition or vision of a young girl and children. She remembered herself and the girl being together as a couple and the children being theirs. The vision of the possible future didn't make any sense to Koko as the black-haired girl wasn't familiar to her.

Koko opened her eyes as the memory faded and just laid there in bed, staring at the ceiling. The new memories were a lot to take in and process. At the moment, keeping the memories separate from her own was manageable, but she saw how it could potentially be a problem later on down the road. She closed her eyes again and tried not to think about it as she began to drift off to sleep.

#

The next morning, as Koko was eating breakfast in the tavern, she came to the same conclusion the alternate Koko would have had her timeline continued normally. With all the danger and evil in the world, there needed to be those who were willing to stand against it. As such, she figured her place was back with the Order of the Sacred Fire. With her newfound power and knowledge, she could definitely prove to be a valuable asset to them. What better way to utilize the gifts the alternate Koko had left her than to help protect the world just as she had, she figured.

While Koko was sitting at her table, she took out some parchment and a pen then began writing down everything she could from the other Koko's memories. She figured it'd be easier to explain her situation to the Order if everything was written down and organized. It'd also help with the inevitable report she'd have to write when she got back. She began recording everything she could at first then planned to go back and organize it all as chronologically as she could later. Once she began her writing, she almost forgot about her meal as she focused solely on jotting down everything she could remember. It wasn't before long until she ran out of blank sheets of paper to write on. Unable to continue her chronicling, she finished up her breakfast then headed to the market to get more paper or a book filled with empty pages.

During her walk through town, Koko kept thinking about how she was going to explain her new memories to her superiors within the OSF. She was pretty sure they were real. To her, they felt so genuine and vivid in her mind. Then there was the physical aspect as well. She was able to perform sword-fighting techniques and cast spells she couldn't previously. Surely that was enough to back her story. Then again, her superiors could possibly want something a bit more concrete to support her claims. For all they knew, she could have been making the whole thing up. For what purpose, she couldn't fathom, but it was still in the realm of possibility.

As Koko pondered her situation, a farfetched idea came into her head: what if she found another member of Sabot Draconis? What if they had similar memories like her? Would that be enough to sway her leadership? It was a longshot, but it might work, she thought. She was also a bit anxious to meet them as well. They were her friends after all, or at least, the alternate Koko's friends; but the memories were with her now, and perhaps it was even the same for the others and their alternate selves.

While Koko was shopping, she also picked up as few maps as well. She planned to try and locate some of the places from her memories if she could. She knew possibly where Freya and Lireal lived, so she tried looking for their hometowns first. According to her memories, Freya lived in Dawsburry and Lireal in Y'lasera, but when Koko tried to find the locations on her maps, she couldn't. She then tried to find any landmarks she could remember like the floating frost mountain or the city with the Colosseum. Even the capital city was nowhere to be found on any of the maps she had. Although the geography was more or less the same, the locations were not. Perhaps the other Koko's timeline was more different than she thought. Though, not all was lost as some areas and places were the same as far as she could tell. Unfortunately, the harder she tried to remember, the harder it became to keep the other Koko's memories separate from her own.

Koko continued through the market and bought a blank journal to continue jotting down her memories in. She hadn't written so much in such a short timespan since her schooling days, perhaps in her entire life. Her hand began to cramp up, so she had to take periodic breaks before continuing on. Her penmanship was atrocious, but that was just for her to get her memories in order. If and when she had to do the full report for the Order, she was going to try and write a bit more legibly.

Over the next couple of days, Koko remained in town, writing down everything she could in her journal. Eventually, she left to begin her search for the other members of Sabot Draconis. She wondered if the others received the memories of their alternate selves at the same time she did. Maybe they were out searching as well. She had no idea, so she headed to the closest landmark she recognized on the map.

#

During the next few months, Koko traveled far and wide in search of her former traveling companions but to no avail. She found traces of places and people from her memories but no concrete leads on the whereabouts of the core members of her group. She was about to give up all hope, wondering if they even existed at all until she finally met a familiar face. Eventually, she came across a female tiefling while making a supply run in a little town. The woman was minding her own business, perusing a shelf of supplies in the store they were in. She had red skin and light-purple hair. At first, she wasn't sure if it was her after a passing glance, but upon taking a closer look, she nearly burst with anticipation.

"Minerva?" asked Koko as she approached the tiefling. She was anxious to see if the woman would respond to her, so as the tiefling turned towards her, she nearly went speechless.

"Yes?" asked Minerva, not knowing who Koko was as she stopped what she was doing to look at her.

"You don't remember me? It's me- Koko," said Koko as she continued to try and contain her excitement.

Minerva quickly looked Koko over and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't seem to recall you," she said. She then adjusted the trademark glasses on the bridge of her nose. "How do you know my name? Have we met before?"

Hearing that Minerva didn't recognize her somewhat disheartened Koko. Perhaps the transferring of memories only occurred between the main Sabot Draconis group, she thought. Nevertheless, she had found someone from the alternate Koko's memories which was a feat in itself.

"This is going to sound absurd, so do you have a few minutes to talk?" asked Koko.

Minerva looked at Koko with a skeptical expression and remained guarded. "Maybe. But I am kinda busy, so…," she said, not really wanting to be bothered by Koko at the moment.

Koko sighed with annoyance and tried to get her attention. "Well riddle me this. How do I know that you're from a special, fancy-pants college which is located up in the sky amongst floating rocks? And, how do I know that the place is only accessible via some fancy ring using teleportation magic?" she said after haughtily folding her arms over her chest.

Minerva gave Koko a cross look, wondering if she had some ill-intent, but she was also curious at the same time. "Okay, that is odd that you know that, but anyone can ask around and eventually find information about my college. I still don't follow what you're getting at and why you need to speak to me," she said.

"We've met before… at least, in another timeline. Technically this is the first time we've spoken," said Koko.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? Have you been afflicted by some kind of spell or curse? If so, I can't help you," said Minerva as she began to grow impatient with Koko. She was about to leave, but Koko stopped her, grabbing her sleeve.

Koko groaned out loud then tried to gather her thoughts. "Trust me. I know it sounds hard to believe, but we have met before. Really," she said.

Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration then readjusted her glasses, wondering why she was even entertaining Koko's nonsense in the first place. "If we have truly met before, what do you know about me- specifically? I remember nearly everyone of note that I interact with, and I'm sure I would've remembered you," she said.

Glad that Minerva was giving her a chance, Koko did her best to capitalize on it. "When we first met at your college, you sat down beside me on the bench I was sitting at and inquired about my presence there. I said I was with a fellow colleague of hers and was just waiting around. While you were keeping me company, I noticed the light crossbow you had mounted on your wrist. It's located on your left one and it's custom made," said Koko before going into the specifics about its construction and origin.

Minerva was surprised to hear how much Koko knew and remained open-minded as she listened to her talk. She really didn't have anything else better to do, so she allowed her to tell her full story. After talking about Minerva's crossbow, Koko then went on to talk about the pistol she had at the time and how firearms in general worked. Minerva said she had never heard of such a weapon nor seen one before, but was interested in knowing more about them. Koko was also eager to find one if they actually existed in her timeline. After talking about weapons, Koko mentioned other things like the layout of the college, which only a select few would have only known. Minerva was amazed to hear how much Koko knew about the college, so she continued to listen, intrigued as to what else she had to say. After Koko was done talking, Minerva was left near speechless.

"That… That's impressive. You're either a spy, a creepy stalker, or what you say is true and we have met before, but how, I'm still not quite sure," said Minerva.

"Yeah. Like I said, it's complicated. If you have the time, we can find somewhere to eat or something and I can explain myself further," said Koko.

Since Minerva was in no rush, and the curiosity getting the better of her, she agreed to accompany Koko elsewhere. After finishing up their business in the general store, they went to a nearby bakery to continue their conversation. There, Koko told Minerva all about the memories she gained from her alternate self and her recent experiences with them. She kept the story brief, but ended up telling Minerva everything from beginning to end, even showing her some of her notes and research. Minerva seemed attentive all throughout the tale, though Koko couldn't discern how she was taking it since her expression was rather stoic and serious. She figured Minerva was trying to process everything in her head.

Once Koko was done, she let Minerva contemplate the situation and how it was even possible. Being an academic, Minerva tried to comprehend everything Koko had told her before coming to a conclusion. Even though it wasn't her specialty, she tried to make sense of it all the best she could.

"That was quite some tale you told. I'm still having trouble understanding how it's even possible," said Minerva.

"You're telling me. I nearly gave up all hope until I saw you. I mean- what are the chances that I actually found someone from the alternate timeline?" said Koko as she leaned back in her chair.

Minerva scoffed to herself as she tried to wrap her head around it. "I'm horrible with numbers, but I imagine it's a very slim chance," she said. "But somehow, you did. Either that or this is one elaborate prank, but I highly doubt that's the case."

"Don't worry. This is no joke. Though, if it is, I'm just as much a victim as you are," said Koko.

"Well, I might not be able to explain what's going on with you, but maybe someone at my college might. Though, I'm not exactly high enough in rank to bring outsiders to the college, so… yeah. Can't bring you there with me," said Minerva.

"That's all right. I wanted to do a bit more searching for other members of Sabot Draconis before returning home anyway," said Koko.

After talking for a bit more and grabbing a snack, Koko and Minerva decided to part ways. Before they left, Minerva told Koko to write her if she found any other Sabot Draconis member or discovered anything interesting. She'd also do the same and would keep an eye out for Moros and any firearms in the meantime. Koko thanked her then went on her way to continue her search.


	4. Homecoming

**===== Chapter 4 =====**

**Homecoming**

Koko kept the search going for a couple more months before deciding to just head back home. After Minerva, she didn't find any more remarkable leads related to the other Sabot Draconis members. She sent a letter in advance to Kia, notifying her of her impending return and to keep it under wraps for now. By the time Koko was on the last leg of her trip back home, she had compiled all her notes and memories into a mostly comprehensible narrative. In her journal of memories, she supplemented it with notes from her own timeline that paralleled things from the other Koko's timeline.

Eventually, Koko found herself standing back on the docks on the mainland, looking out to the horizon and seeing Broken Crescent Island in the distance. It seemed like just yesterday that she was there, her home positioned to her backside as she first embarked on her journey. She hitched a ride on a civilian transport and soon arrived back at the port in Seaside on Lesser Broken Crescent Isle.

As Koko was disembarking the ship using the gangplank, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. Even after two years, nothing had seemed to change much, at least, as far as she could tell. She finally cleared the ramp and set foot on the dock. So far, barely anyone had recognized her as she walked along through Seaside. Then again, it was just after midday, so everyone she knew was busy at work on the other isle. She wanted to keep a low profile anyway until she got a chance to meet up with Kia again and unwind at home.

Koko made her way through town and headed towards her home by the water's edge. She took her time walking down the path that led out of town towards the beach. The sky was clear and the weather fair which was perfect for a casual stroll through her old stomping grounds. When she got to the sandy shore, her pace slightly quickened as her house drew nearer. Even though it had been a couple or so years, with the other Koko's memories, it felt much longer than that since she'd last been home. As her house came into view, she was nearly jogging until she arrived just outside, coming to a halt as she looked it over. It was exactly as she had left it, no thanks to her but instead her good friend Kia. Kia had maintained the property just as she had promised. Koko wanted to thank her, but she was probably at work, so she decided to wait for her to come back and let herself inside the house.

Upon opening the door, Koko was pleased to see the interior just as clean and well-kept as the exterior. She kicked off the sand from her boots then stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Everything was in the same place, and it barely looked like anyone else was even living there. Upon closer inspection, Koko spotted a thing or two belonging to Kia, but it was all neatly placed. She made her way around the living room, then the kitchen, then finally ended up in front of her bedroom. Her mother's bedroom was still closed which was good. A flurry of memories about her mother rushed into her head before she shut them out, the flood of emotions almost too much to bear.

Koko looked back to her room and stepped inside. The room was a bit messier than the rest of the house, but it wasn't too bad, considering her friend had been living there for the past couple of years. She yawned slightly as she looked around, taking off her pack and setting it down on the floor. Seeing her bed suddenly made her feel a bit drowsy, so she undid her belt and took it off complete with sword and pouches still attached. After taking off her boots, she went over to her bed and plopped down onto it, lying flat on her back. She let out a sigh of relief as she relaxed from her long trip. Before she knew it, she was out cold after having fallen soundly asleep.

A few hours later, Koko awoke to a familiar hand nudging her shoulder. "Koko. Hey, Koko…"

Koko slowly opened her eyes to see her long-time friend, Kia, standing beside her. She rubbed her eyes and sat up on the bed. "Hey. What's up?" she asked.

Kia smiled sincerely then embraced Koko in a friendly hug. "Welcome back, you," she said, her voice slightly muffled by the embrace. "I was so glad to hear that you were finally coming back home."

Koko smiled at the warm welcome. "It's good to be back," she said, patting Kia on the back. "The house looks nice. Thanks again for watching over it."

"No thanks is required. It was my pleasure to do so," said Kia as she broke away from the hug. "Once I heard that you were coming back, I tidied up the place for your homecoming."

"It's much appreciated," said Koko as she transitioned to sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kia took the desk chair and sat down beside the bed, getting eye-level with Koko. "Man. I wish I could've joined you the day you left. I always wanted to travel but, you know. Couldn't quite break away from the island due to my studies and all. So what brings you back all of a sudden? Get tired of all the traveling?" she asked.

Koko chuckled slightly then prepared to tell Kia everything. "Uh… not exactly," she said. For the rest of the day, she told Kia all about her new memories and her quest to find any member of the alternate Koko's adventuring group. She showed her the journal and all her notes regarding the matter. She also included the time she met Minerva and how surprised she was to meet her.

After everything was done and said, Kia sat back in her seat, completely stunned by the news. Never in her studies had she ever heard about someone gaining the memories and skills of an alternate self. She just sat there, trying to make sense of the situation. "That's so crazy," she said. "Are you going to bring this up with the Council?"

Koko shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. What should I do? I want to join back up and all, but I just don't know how to go about doing it," she said. "It's all so hard to believe. I mean, I can barely believe it myself."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two as they thought the situation over. Kia then stood up and went over to the window, peering outside at the setting sun. "Maybe you shouldn't tell them anything," she said.

Koko looked up to Kia after breaking away from her thoughts. "You think that's what I should do?" she asked.

Kia cleared her throat and turned back to Koko. "Yeah. I mean, this is all so weird and unprecedented. And you know what the Order does with things like that. Especially if it involves threats to the greater good," she said.

"I guess you're right. I see what you mean," said Koko as she leaned back.

"They're probably going to lock you up and experiment on you, trying to figure out how it happened. That is, assuming they believe you in the first place," said Kia. "So my advice is to just leave all that out when you tell them you want to rejoin the Order, at least for now anyway. Maybe until we study the phenomenon ourselves a bit more or find some definitive evidence."

Koko sneered at her friend, eyeing her playfully. "I'm not going to be subjected to those same experiments under your personal supervision, am I?" she asked.

Kia shook her head with a smirk. "Only when you're not awake…," she said.

Koko smirked a bit but then grew a bit nervous, unable to discern whether or not she was joking based on her facial expression. "Anyway… I think I agree with you, so we'll just keep all this memory stuff out little secret, okay?" she said.

"That's fine with me," said Kia with a nod.

The two then spent the rest of the evening catching up and hanging out. When it came time for bed, Koko volunteered to take the couch, allowing Kia to have the bed for one more night. The next day, Kia was going to have to move back to the dormitories on the other isle. There just wasn't enough space for the two of them to stay comfortably at the house together. As Koko settled in on the couch in the living room, she had slight trouble getting to sleep. Her mind was racing with all sorts of things. She had to really concentrate on calming her mind before she could finally fall asleep.

#

When Koko woke up the next morning, Kia was already up and about, packing her things in preparation for the move. Koko finally got off the couch and helped her friend wherever she could. The move took all morning, but Koko and Kia finally managed to move everything to the dorm room. Luckily, Kia had nothing big or bulky to move, like furniture, so the move went along relatively smoothly. Koko and Kia had lunch together before going their separate ways.

Once Koko had her room and house back to herself again, she decided to unpack and make everything more to her liking. She went into her room and found everything she sent back to Kia while on her travels. She began taking items one by one and sorted them out, placing them away around her room. After that, she moved on to her pack which didn't take as long. Sometimes, she came across an old item and couldn't remember where it came from or what it was at first, but then she remembered as she recalled the memory.

After everything at home was taken care of, Koko psyched herself up to talk to the Order about rejoining and becoming a full-fledged member. She dug out her old uniform from her closet and put it on, making sure everything was properly worn. It was a bit small, but it'd have to do for now. She left her weapons behind as she exited her house to head on over to Greater Broken Crescent Isle. When she got back into town, people began to recognize her and welcomed her back home. She caught a ferry to the other isle then headed towards the training camp. The sights along the way reminded her of the time back when she was still a trainee with the Order. As the training camp came into view, Koko headed towards the cadre building in search of someone in charge.

Koko paused momentarily at the sight of all the students and training staff walking around. She suddenly felt nervous for some reason, as if she was going to be judged for coming back out of the blue. She exhaled after a deep breath then headed to the cadre building's entrance. Just as she was about to open the door, an instructor suddenly came through and nearly ran into her. Koko flinched and promptly moved out of the way, a reflex of her training days. The instructor stepped by her then stopped.

"Koko?" asked the instructor as he looked to her.

Koko had her head down but then looked up to see who was addressing her. It was her favorite teacher, Sergeant Fauhurst. "Oh, uh… hey there," she said.

Fauhurst smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Good to see you alive and well, kid," he said. Seeing that he was blocking the door, he and Koko stepped off to the side to continue catching up. "What brings you back to the schoolhouse dressed like that? You considering continuing with your training?"

"Actually… yeah. I guess I am," said Koko as she glanced away. She was trying to decide on whether or not to tell him everything. In the end, she decided to heed Kia's advice and opted not to tell him, even though she felt like she could trust telling him everything without risk. Instead, she just told him she wanted to continue with her training and felt the OSF was where she belonged.

Fauhurst was pleased to hear her willingness to rejoin the Order and continue with her training. Seeing one of his favorite students made him eager to test and see how much of his studies she had retained. He challenged Koko to a quick duel using blunt training swords in the practice area.

Since Koko didn't have anything else on her list of things to do, she accepted the challenge and followed him into the ring. She was actually restless herself and wanted to test her new skills against a worthy opponent. When they got to the dueling area, she took the practice sword Fauhurst handed her and gave it a few practice swings to get used to it in her hands. The duel consisted of a no-time limit match with the first person to successfully land three hits to the torso being the victor. After a brief yet intense fight, Koko ended up winning three to two, though, Fauhurst did go a bit easy on her.

"That was a close one, but I still had a few more tricks up my sleeve," said Fauhurst after taking Koko's practice sword. He took the swords and put them away on the rack with the others. "I'm just so impressed by how much your skills have grown."

"Well, I haven't exactly been picking daisies these past couple years," said Koko with a smug look.

Fauhurst smirked and walked over to Koko, patting her on the back. "I'll talk with the cadre and see that you get back into training as soon as possible. I hope you're ready to hit the ground running," he said.

"I'm ready and willing," said Koko with a determined look. "Will I be able to pick up from where I left off, or…?"

Fauhurst sighed and placed his hands in his pants pockets. "Unfortunately, you won't. Since you left before finishing the advanced program, and now that you're older, you'll have to go through the basic training program," he said. "But, I'm sure you'll get through it without any problems. After a little refresher, you'll be back up to speed and become a full-fledged member in no time."

Koko looked down dejectedly but then gave a firm nod, looking back to him. "If that's what it takes, then so be it. I'll do whatever it takes to graduate and become a knight," she said.

"Wow. Where did all this resolve come from? Wish you were this fervent back before you left," said Fauhurst with a smirk.

"I just realized this is where I belong, so I need to make the best of it," said Koko.

"Good. Very good. I'll talk with the others after I'm done teaching for the day. In the meantime, make sure you have everything you'll need to begin training once you're accepted," said Fauhurst.

After proving herself to Fauhurst, Koko bid her former teacher farewell and decided to take care of some personal errands before heading back home. She wanted to see if the Head Weaponmaster was familiar with firearms or anything related to them. Surely if anyone had heard of them before, it'd be him. He knew almost everything there was about weapons of all kinds, ranging from swords and axes to bows and polearms. He dabbled in all sorts of weaponry.

Koko made her way over to the OSF Research and Development building where the Head Weaponmaster, Master Ebrik Galeunn, worked during the day. He was in charge of handling the maintenance and repairs of special and unique weapons for the Order. He also possessed a vast wealth of knowledge, acting as a repository of information regarding weapons of all kinds. Because of that, he acted as a kind of expert and advisor to the researchers developing new weapons and historians researching old relics.

Once Koko arrived at Head Weaponmaster Galeunn's workshop, she hesitantly opened the door and went inside. She was nervous that the Head Weaponmaster would have no idea what she was talking about. She didn't want to look like a fool and embarrass herself in front of him by asking about firearms, but she had to know if such things existed in her timeline. There was no one else she could turn to. After looking around, she found the Head Weaponmaster by the forge where he spent most of his time. He was either repairing weapons or providing a visitor with information about a certain weapon, like her.

"Um, hello? Veteran Master Galeunn?" asked Koko as she stood in front of whom she presumed was the Head Weaponmaster.

The male dwarf looked over his shoulder at Koko then continued to keep his back to her as he focused on his work. "If you're here to pick up Senior Captain Pike's sword, you can tell her it'll be ready when it's ready," said Ebrik.

Koko remained standing where she was and said, "Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you for some of some of your wisdom."

"Is that so? Go on then. What would you like to know?" asked Ebrik without missing a beat of his work.

"There's actually a certain kind of weapon I'm curious to know more about, but… I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not," said Koko as she began to get a bit anxious.

Ebrik continued to work, not paying much attention to Koko. "Lass, there isn't a weapon in the world that I don't know at least something about," he said.

Koko was somewhat annoyed that he wasn't giving her his full attention, but she continued on. "Well, have you heard of a gun before?" she asked.

Ebrik momentarily stopped what he was doing then resumed after thinking about what Koko had asked. "A… gun?" he asked.

"They're also called firearms collectively. There are several types, but all I've used- er, heard of are the pistol and rifle kinds. They're projectile weapons," said Koko as she took a single step towards him.

After hearing Koko continue, Ebrik fully stopped what he was doing and turned around to face her with an unamused expression on his face. "Listen, Lassy, if you're trying to prank me and waste my time, you'd be highly mistaken for doing so," he said, folding his arms over his chest.

Koko was slightly intimidated but persisted with her inquiry. "I'm not pranking you, sir. The pistol variant looks like this," she said as she tried to describe it in words and motion the shape of the weapon with her hands. "It has a wooden grip and metal barrel. There's a trigger and flintlock mechanism that fires the weapon. The rifle-"

Before Koko could continue, Ebrik interrupted her by gesturing with his hand to stop talking. He looked as if he was thinking about something in his head with his eyes closed, remaining silent as he was lost in his thoughts. After a few moments, he opened his eyes once more and looked to Koko. "Follow me," he said as he began walking back into another room.

Koko did as she was told and followed closely behind the dwarf, wondering where he was leading her. She walked into a room with him which appeared to be his personal office. There were weapons displayed proudly on the walls, some of which seemed to be magical while others were just there as intricate and finely crafted pieces of art. There were also shelves full of books and other reference materials which she presumed were mainly about weapons.

Ebrik told Koko to wait in front of his desk while he went around behind it, crouching down to search through one of the bottom drawers. After rummaging around for a bit, he reappeared as he stood up, placing something on his desk.

"Is this what you're talking about?" asked Ebrik.

Koko approached the desk and looked to see what he had retrieved from his drawer. As soon as she saw it, her eyes lit up with glee. She immediately took the item from the desk top and inspected it closely, moving it around in her hands.

"That's it! This is a pistol! Oh, and it's in excellent condition. Where- Where did you get it?" asked Koko as she couldn't remove her eyes from the gun in her hand.

Ebrik stroked his beard with a hand as he looked to Koko. "I won it in a game of cards a long time ago when I still traveled around. The guy who originally owned it said it was a powerful weapon, but after I won the item and had it in my possession, I thought he had tricked me. He never said what it was or how it worked, and I never managed to figure it out on my own. I fixed it up, cleaned it, and took it apart over and over again. But that was it. I never found any reference of it in my studies, and no one has ever asked about them… that is, until you came along," he said.

Koko checked the weapon and made sure all the mechanisms worked as they should. It was a bit stiff, but after tinkering with it, she was sure she could get it working again. She looked to Ebrik with an enthusiastic expression. "If you'd like, I can show you how it works," she said.

Ebrik chuckled lightheartedly and motioned for Koko to proceed with his hand. "By all means, Lassy. If you can get that thing working, you might just teach this old dwarf something new, which isn't a common occurrence nowadays" he said.

Koko took the gun and eagerly cocked the firing mechanism back, but just as she did, she realized she was still missing some components. "Do you have any- oh, what was it called… blastpowder, by chance?" she asked.

Ebrik hummed to himself as he pondered what she was talking about. "I'm not familiar with this… 'blastpowder', but I do have some smokepowder that I used for the forge. Is that what you need?" he asked.

"Um, maybe. I'll have to take a look at it. Does it explode when it reacts with fire or a spark?" asked Koko.

"Sure does," said Ebrik.

"That might do. I'll also need a small piece of flint to fit here and a metal ball bearing that'll fit inside the barrel," said Koko.

"The flint I can get you straightaway, but that ball bearing I'll have to fashion from scratch. Shouldn't take too long though," said Ebrik.

"Okay. Could you please fashion one for me, please? In the meantime, I'll adjust the pistol so it'll fire more easily," said Koko.

Curious to see the weapon in action, Ebrik gave in to her request and went about fashioning the ammunition. He took a quick glance at the width of the barrel and went to work at his forge. Meanwhile, Koko used some of Ebrik's tools to adjust and fine-tune the pistol's firing mechanisms. Before Ebrik started working on the ball bearing, he found a small piece of flint and had given it to her. After making sure everything on the gun was finely adjusted to her liking, she secured the piece of flint to the hammer. She then made sure it sparked when she cocked the hammer back and pulled the trigger. It worked like a charm, and all that was missing was the ball bearing and smokepowder.

When Ebrik was done making the ball bearing, Koko took it and made sure it fit inside the barrel. Before adding any smokepowder, she dropped it in the barrel and it fit perfectly. Ebrik then gathered a small cup of smokepowder and gave it to Koko, wondering what it was going to be used for. Koko made sure the barrel was clear then added in some smokepowder. After pouring a small portion down the barrel, she dropped the ball bearing in and secured it using the ramrod. She then cocked back the hammer and added a bit of smokepowder to the flash pan. Even though she hadn't done any of that before, it felt like second-nature. The alternate Koko had done it numerous times and now she had her memories. There was a training dummy in the room which was going to be her target.

"This might be a bit loud, so just a forewarning," said Koko as she aimed the pistol at the dummy before looking to Ebrik.

Ebrik just stood there with his arms casually crossed. "Lass, I've been all over," he said as he looked to Koko. "There are few things that are too-"

Before Ebrik could finish his sentence, Koko pulled the trigger and fired the gun at the training dummy. A cloud of smoke exited the barrel as the projectile hit home, making a hole in the burlap sack that covered the dummy's head. Ebrik flinched slightly at the sudden loud noise, but Koko didn't see it as she was focused on firing the gun. Seeing that her aim was true and that the gun fired without a hitch, Koko cheered excitedly as she turned back towards Ebrik.

"Worked like a charm!" said Koko with a smile, missing the sensation of firing a gun.

Ebrik was completely flabbergasted, wondering how a random girl from out of nowhere suddenly showed up with knowledge to operate a firearm. "Say, what's your name there, Lassy?" he asked as he looked to Koko.

Koko calmed down and promptly responded, "Koko. My name's Koko Stormare, sir."

Upon hearing her name, Ebrik shuffled around uncomfortably. "_Stormare_, huh? As in, the daughter of the late Praetorian Commandant Stormare?" he asked, giving her a serious look.

Koko watched as Ebrik eyed her closely, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Uh, yes, sir. Did you know my father?" she asked.

Ebrik huffed slightly, glancing away from Koko. "I knew 'em. Met him once or twice, as did your brother," he said, almost sneering at the mention of Koko's brother.

"I see. Did you not like my brother?" asked Koko, still unaware of her brother's true past.

Ebrik looked back to her and scoffed. "You can say that," he said.

"Oh… well, thank you for allowing me to fire your pistol, sir," said Koko as she handed the weapon back to Ebrik. "If you ever need to know anything else about it, just let me know."

Ebrik looked at the gun then to Koko. "Keep it. It's yours," he said after a slight grumble.

"E- Excuse me, sir?" asked Koko as she kept the weapon held out towards him.

"It is a novel, little thing -I'll give you that- but I don't think the Order will have any interest in issuing these to our troops. The need for smokepowder and its specialized ammunition will prove costly, and it's method of loading is just too unwieldly. Not to mention the noise it creates while firing. I think our lads and lasses on the frontlines are doing just fine with the tried and true longbow and crossbow. There's no need for this intricate contraption on the battlefield, so you can have it in return for teaching me something new and showing me how it works," said Ebrik.

Koko was surprised by his generosity and slowly withdrew her hand with the firearm in it. "Oh, uh… thank you, sir. I've been looking all around for one of these," she said as she placed it in her satchel. "Are you sure I can have it? Seems like a one-of-a-kind find."

"Oh I've made thorough records of the thing when I first got my hands on it. Made drawings and diagrams of each part too, so if the Order ever finds a need for such an item, I can dig the records out and give it to them," said Ebrik.

"In that case, I'll take good care of it," said Koko.

"Uh huh. Oh, and before you go, can you do me a favor?" asked Ebrik.

"Sure. Whatever you need, sir," said Koko.

"Can you give me a full written account of how to operate one of these things? You know, for my personal records. Just in case another specimen crosses my path," said Ebrik.

Koko gave a reluctant sigh then nodded, tired of writing reports. "Of course, sir. I'll write down everything I know about firearms and how to operate them," she said.

"By the way, how is it that you've come across such knowledge?" asked Ebrik as he began heading back to his office.

"Oh you know. Traveled a lot. Been around. Talked to lots of people," said Koko with a nervous chuckle, not wanting to explain the truth about her real experience with firearms. Ebrik didn't push the issue further and continued into his office. She followed after him and sat down at his desk, taking a blank piece of paper and pen in her hand.

After Koko was done writing her full report of firearms for the Head Weaponmaster, she left the armory with her new pistol in tow. She was so excited that firearms actually existed in her timeline, though, they seemed to not be as prevalent and were much harder to find. Even so, she had at least one and that was enough for her at the moment. She could easily find ammunition and smokepowder later or have it fashioned by the Head Weaponmaster if she really wanted to. It was getting late, so Koko grabbed some food in Seaside before heading on back home.

#

Once Koko was granted permission to continue her training, she enrolled in the basic training program and did her best to prove herself to her instructors. She excelled and easily surpassed her classmates with ease while doing her best to help them out whenever she could. When it came to swordsmanship or hand-to-hand combat, she bested her opponents without any trouble at all and offered to give them pointers and tips if they wanted. With regards to the academic work, she excelled in that as well. She already knew most of the material from before in the advanced training program and just needed a brief refresher.

Koko's outstanding performance in her training and positive attitude caught the attention of the training cadre and senior leadership. The reports about her were far from the Koko they remembered and soon enough, the image of Koko the delinquent was replaced by the new, more determined Koko, much to their approval. Koko quickly went through the motions and managed to even graduate early. Even though she was rusty with the magic portion of her studies, her new memories and experiences helped bring her up to speed. She graduated with a distinguished status and earned the rank of Knight.

The Order was glad to have her back and worked to quickly fast-track her through the ranks. To help her along, leadership assigned Koko to a well-known paladin, a distinguished veteran by the name of Amber Bellahunt. Amber was a Captain before she was reassigned to the Hunter-Seekers, the Order's special-forces unit. Amber was tasked with helping Koko gain experience and teach her how the Order operated in the field. Unbeknownst to Koko, leadership was also keeping a close eye on her to avoid the potential of another Kasper Incident. That was why they assigned her to such a capable member. Based on what Amber had heard and seen of the new Koko, she wasn't worried about that happening and Koko turning out like her disgraced brother.

Under Amber's tutelage, Koko relearned how to channel her paladin powers and abilities. Amber also worked with Koko to blend her unorthodox fighting style and tactics with the more standard teachings of the Order to form a workable hybrid. That was to prevent her from getting into any potential trouble with the more traditional members of the Order's leadership. During her time with Amber, Koko attained the rank of Sergeant then after her probationary period, was given the rank of Specialist.

Once Koko was a Specialist, she was able to lead missions as the commanding officer, but only small ones at first. Eventually, she got the hang of things and finally settled into her role as a member of the Order of the Sacred Fire.


End file.
